Bird Conservation

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat Conservation Plan

The only woodpecker to excavate its home in living pine trees,
the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) (Picoides borealis) was
probably a common resident of mature southeastern U.S. pine forests
at one time. However, populations of this non-migratory species
have drastically declined, and the bird is now listed under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) because most of its required habitat
has been altered through clearing, urbanization, incompatible
forestry practices, and lack of periodic fire to maintain the pine
stands in an open condition.

Most remaining RCWs exist on public lands such as national
forests, national wildlife refuges, and military bases where large
tracts of woodland habitat have been maintained in suitable
condition. Many of these public land populations are under
intensive management in an attempt to increase RCW numbers and
recover the species from its endangered status. In Georgia, the
largest public land populations are found at Fort Benning, Fort
Stewart, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and Piedmont National
Wildlife Refuge/Oconee National Forest/Brender Demonstration
Forest.

Some RCWs also remain on private land in Georgia. The Red Hills
region of Thomas and Grady counties supports a substantial RCW
population. Suitable habitat has been maintained incidentally on
adjacent large tracts of private land managed primarily for
bobwhite quail. Most of the other RCWs on private lands, however,
belong to small, isolated populations on relict fragments of
habitat. These birds are continuing to disappear without
contributing to the future of the species because of ongoing loss
and fragmentation of habitat, lack of beneficial management, and
the negative effects of demographic isolation.

Private landowners are not required to contribute toward species
recovery, only to avoid "take" as defined by the ESA. Avoidance of
take necessitates that landowners do not disturb the cluster of
cavity trees used by a family group of RCWs, and that they maintain
sufficient nearby pine forest foraging habitat. Sufficient foraging
habitat has been defined as a minimum of 3000 square feet basal
area of pines at least 10 inches in diameter nearby and contiguous
to the cavity trees. This can be somewhat expensive in lost income
opportunity because landowners might have to alter intended
management activities, such as timber harvest or clearing, that
would result in take through loss of habitat.

In order to relieve the burden on the few private landowners
with RCWs that belong to small, isolated populations, while at the
same time benefiting the overall RCW population, the Georgia DNR
WRD is developing a habitat conservation plan (HCP) and applying
for a statewide incidental take permit as allowed by Section
10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA. Qualifying landowners can have RCW
management responsibilities removed from their property once
replacement groups of RCWs have been created or equivalent
additional habitat has been committed to permanent management at
another location where the birds can contribute to a recovery or
support population. Replacement groups can be formed through
translocation or habitat management above and beyond what would
occur anyway. All impacted RCWs will be translocated before habitat
can be rendered unsuitable.

In addition, "safe harbor" agreements will be available to any
interested landowners wishing to maintain suitable RCW habitat
without incurring increased management responsibility should the
RCW population on their land increase. The baseline responsibility
will be to maintain habitat for the number of RCW groups present at
the time of the agreement. Safe harbor with a baseline of zero can
be used to protect landowners who have no RCW on their land, but
have a realistic probability of receiving dispersing birds from
nearby occupied RCW habitat.

For more information on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Habitat Conservation Plan in Georgia, call: (229)
227-5422.